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Rapid City
Randall City is a major coastal seaport located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population within the city limits in 2019 was an estimated 73,378 and is the largest city on Whidbey Island. Located at the northern tip of Whidbey Island near Deception Pass State Park, Randall City lies in the foothills with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Skagit Bay to the north. Randall City was originally founded in 1892 as North Whidbey Island before being renamed Randall City in 1915 after the death of city founder Charles Randall. History Founding In March of 1892, a man from Seattle by the name of Charles Randall began a search for a new place to settle in the Puget Sound region. He had heard about other men living on Whidbey Island so he traveled to the northern tip of the island to establish his new settlement. Dubbed North Whidbey Island, the settlement only had ten citizens. By 1900, the community had expanded to over 125 citizens and was quickly growing. The small town had only two roads, a small grove of houses, a grocery store, a diner, and a police station. In 1909 the population skyrocketed to nearly 3,000 citizens after many immigrants from Russia and Japan moved to the small town. Founder's death and city rebrand After battling lung cacer for a number of years, North Whidbey Island's founder Charles Randall passed away on June 4, 1915. A public memorial service was held on Main Street on June 25 to celebrate Mr. Randall's life. Following the service, a town hall meeting was called for August 1 to discuss plans to immortalize Charles Randall. After two months of meetings, it was decided that a statue would be erected in the town square and that the town would be renamed Randall's City which was later changed to Randall City. The new name became official on January 1, 1917 although many people were already using the new name prior to this date. Founder's Park then opened March 1917 adjacent to Main Street and included a huge 50-foot tall statue of Charles Randall. Growth and expansion The population of Randall City has continued to grow significantly on a yearly basis since the early 1900s which led to the city undergoing many expansions and ambitious construction projects. By the 1970s, Randall City reached 50,000 people and has become the largest city on Whidbey Island. Demographics According to the 2010 United States Census, Randall City had a population 73,000 with a racial and ethnic composition as follows: ch of 1892, a man from Seattle by the name of Charles Randall began a search for a new place to settle in the Puget Sound region. He had heard about other men living on Whidbey Island so he traveled to the northern tip of the island to establish his new settlement. Dubbed North Whidbey Island, the settlement only had ten citizens. By 1900, the community had expanded to over 125 citizens and was quickly growing. The small town had only two roads, a small grove of houses, a grocery store, a diner, and a police station. In 1909 the population skyrocketed to nearly 3,000 citizens after many immigrants from Russia and Japan moved to the small town. Government Commerce and industry Top employers Transportation Major highways Highway to highway Roads Public transit Rail Air transport Sports Professional sports in Randall City began in 1964 when the Randall City FC of the West Coast Soccer League played their one and only season before being sold to owners in Salem, Oregon. The team was replaced with a new team in 1969. Today, Randall City has four professional sports teams: the North American Football League's Randall City Reign, Pacific Coast League's Randall City Orcas, North American Hockey League's Randall City Lightning, and Major League Soccer's Randall City SeaDogs FC. A fifth sports team is expected to begin play in the fall of 2014 in the newly founded Cascadia Basketball Association. The city is also home to the Dodge Raceway Stadium, a quarter-mile racetrack and football facility that is home to two annual NASCAR Safeway Series races as well as the official training facility of the Randall City Reign. Former teams Education Parks and recreation See: List of parks in Randall City Sister Cities *Incheon, South Korea *Pierrefort, France